From
these maternal seeds,I
learned to re-interpretHomework
assignments,Especially
the essay prompt;Justify
alternative due datesParticularly
if I found it trivial;Miss
180 days of high school,Because
there is more toBe
learned outside of school!

And
this is how I learnedFur
Elise without how toPlay
major and minor scales;Take
calculus and find derivativesWithout
taking trigonometry;Attend
business schoolWithout
ever taking a courseAccounting
or finance first.

Years
later, my real-estateDeveloper
boyfriend –A starter boyfriend,Like
a starter house or first job –Would
say, “You create your own luck”,As
coolly as a patricianSays
to a plebeian asHe
grabs the last cabFrom
an elderly ladyStranded
in rain duringAn
ungodly morningSome
city, somewhere.